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<p>Diets of large carnivores such as pumas vary with ecological conditions including the diversity, abundance, and vulnerability of prey. In the San Andres Mountains, south-central New Mexico, USA, the ungulate prey community changed significantly during the 1980s through the 2000s; mule deer declined ca. 90%; desert bighorn declined to near extirpation, then increased; and exotic oryx increased. Because these changes likely affected pumas, we evaluated puma diets from 2000 to 2011 (divided into 2 periods; 2000–2005, and 2006–2011; mule deer began a slow recovery in the latter), and compared these with diets documented from 1985 to 1995. Diets changed significantly with declines in mule deer; total ungulate (43–52% frequency; 52–61% biomass) and non-ungulate (57–63% frequency; 39–48% biomass) prey in diets were similar during 2000–2005 and 2006–2011, whereas ungulates had comprised 94% biomass (92% mule deer) of diets in 1985–1995. The largest component of diets in the 2000s by frequency was lagomorphs (27–42%), while lagomorphs (20–28) and mule deer (21–42) contributed the greatest biomass. Oryx increased in both frequency and biomass in diets during the 2000s, but still comprised <i>≤</i> 16% of diets, similar to occurrence in coyote diets and thus likely indicative of scavenging. Pumas compensated for declines in mule deer primarily by shifting to medium and small prey, especially lagomorphs, while maintaining nutritional condition. Significant use of non-ungulate prey by pumas highlights their flexibility in diets, and reaffirms their ability to persist in areas where large ungulates are rare or relatively invulnerable to predation and consequently do not dominate diets.</p>

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Diets of pumas during significant changes in ungulate prey availability in the San Andres Mountains, south-central New Mexico, USA

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月24日

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  • Louis C. Bender,
  • Mara E. Weisenberger,
  • Erik Joaquín Torres-Romero

摘要

Diets of large carnivores such as pumas vary with ecological conditions including the diversity, abundance, and vulnerability of prey. In the San Andres Mountains, south-central New Mexico, USA, the ungulate prey community changed significantly during the 1980s through the 2000s; mule deer declined ca. 90%; desert bighorn declined to near extirpation, then increased; and exotic oryx increased. Because these changes likely affected pumas, we evaluated puma diets from 2000 to 2011 (divided into 2 periods; 2000–2005, and 2006–2011; mule deer began a slow recovery in the latter), and compared these with diets documented from 1985 to 1995. Diets changed significantly with declines in mule deer; total ungulate (43–52% frequency; 52–61% biomass) and non-ungulate (57–63% frequency; 39–48% biomass) prey in diets were similar during 2000–2005 and 2006–2011, whereas ungulates had comprised 94% biomass (92% mule deer) of diets in 1985–1995. The largest component of diets in the 2000s by frequency was lagomorphs (27–42%), while lagomorphs (20–28) and mule deer (21–42) contributed the greatest biomass. Oryx increased in both frequency and biomass in diets during the 2000s, but still comprised ≤ 16% of diets, similar to occurrence in coyote diets and thus likely indicative of scavenging. Pumas compensated for declines in mule deer primarily by shifting to medium and small prey, especially lagomorphs, while maintaining nutritional condition. Significant use of non-ungulate prey by pumas highlights their flexibility in diets, and reaffirms their ability to persist in areas where large ungulates are rare or relatively invulnerable to predation and consequently do not dominate diets.